The first Score Baja 1000 was run on October 30-31 of 1975. It w as the final Score race of that year. The Parker 400, Baja Internacional, and Score World Championship of Off Road Racing (at Riverside Raceway), preceded the 1000. For this first Score 1000, rather than a peninsula-long race to La Paz, a large loop course was laid out starting and ending in Ensenada, of about 800 miles. The first Score race to La Paz would wait until 1979.
Score was invited to run off road racing in the state of Baja California after a very poorly organized pair of races were run by the ‘Baja Sports Committee’: The 1973 Baja Mil (1000) and 1974 Baja 500 (very few racers attended). In July 1974, Mickey Thompson and his relatively new Score organization ran a very exciting and well attended race they named the Baja Internacional (renamed years later as the Baja 500 once rights to the use were granted).
ProgramCourse map in the program. Prior to the race, it was decided that Class 6, 7, and 11 could bypass the Pacific Coast section and use Mex 1 to reach El Crucero (Check 4) from Santa Ines (Check 3).
Ensenada, Oct. 29, 1975; tech inspection and impound:
I spot Walker Evans, king of the Class 8 Pickup racers.Walker Evans switched from Team Stroppe Ford to Chevy, racing with the Parnelli Jones team, who also switched from the Stroppe Big Oly Bronco to a 2WD Chevy Blazer.My friend Mark Hansen (F.A.S.T. Company of Escondido) and his co-driver Greg Krough.Team Banquet Bronco and Vic Abruzzese, in traditional top hat and tails, for so many Baja races.
Race Day Oct. 30, 1975, Valle de la Trinidad
I can hear them yell: “Slow Down Parnelli” LOL! Overall winner of the 1963 Indy 500, 1971 & 1972 Mexican (‘Baja’) 1000, and 1970 & 1973 Baja 500, Parnelli Jones, arrives at 10:25 am.Parnelli Jones has a casual-looking pit team.Parnelli Jones and his fabricator/ mechanic Dick Russell, in this Class 2 (unlimited 2-seat, 2WD) ‘funny car’ Blazer. PJ pushed this new race car too hard, and did not get far south of here. Dub Smith in a 2180cc Sandwinder. Walker Evans arrives, but his front end needs a new alignment job! Notice co-driver, Poncho Weaver, pointing down. Addressing the issue to get Walker back in the race.Many buggy racers!The Ford ‘Super Pony’ of Lee Epstein and Bud Ekins (#215). Bud, a Hollywood stuntman who did the famous ‘Steve McQueen’ motorcycle jump (in The Great Escape), was a pioneer in off-road racing doing the first timed run from Tijuana to La Paz in 1962. He also won the very first Baja 500, in 1969. My friend Mark Hansen (#501) arriving… and leaving Valle de la Trinidad at 11:57 am.More racers, including 4x4s and trucks.The Chapala Dusters are just one of several pitting organizations. Others include Mag 7, Checkers, and FAIR.
Next, we go to San Felipe and south to the sulfur mine to watch the racers on their northbound loop, the next morning.
My Jeep Cherokee Chief was less than 6 months old. It was great on the old road into San Felipe from Diablo Dry Lake. This was also the race course but it would be many hours before the racers arrived here.
Oct. 31, the sulfur mine valley, 23 miles south of San Felipe:
Campo Nuevo Mazatlan is just 5 miles east of the sulfur mine. We camp there after the race. Here is my travel friend Greg on the left, in the middle is founder of Nuevo Mazatlan, Luis Castellanos Moreno, and me (in a SCORE shirt), age 18.
THANK YOU for visiting my 1975 Score Baja 1000 page, David Kier.
My Baja California Road Guidewith road logs of most popular (and some exotic) routes using kilometer markers on highways to easily find points of interest or side roads, with color photos and maps.
Most everything to help plan a Baja trip or learn about its history, plus my hundreds to thousands of photos, maps, and books: https://vivabaja.com/
